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Prevent Cross-Contamination in Your Restaurant

Cross-Contamination from unsanitary practices or food mishandling can be detrimental to your restaurant. Cross-Contamination can lead to foodborne illnesses which can cause bigger issues for your business. “Foodborne illnesses affect as many as 76 million Americans each year. It is claimed that about 58% of the instances of foodborne illness arise out of commercial and institutional foodservice.” [1] From liability risks to a tarnished reputation, we here Tagrisk care about safety in the restaurant industry. Below are some tips to avoid cross-contamination and prevent foodborne illnesses.

Personal Hygiene

One of the first steps to preventing cross-contamination is maintaining clean personal hygiene. Employees should keep their hands clean by washing their hands frequently. Anytime disposable gloves are changed, hands should be washed with hot water and soap to fight germs and harmful bacteria. Hands also must be washed after using the restroom, coughing, sneezing, handling dirty dishes, handling money, eating, smoking, etc. Hands should be dried with a hand dryer or clean single-use paper towels. Employees should never wipe their hands on their apron or uniform. Policies and standards should be put in place to prevent employees from beginning their shifts if they are not meeting hygiene standards. Staff should come to work with a clean complete uniform, properly groomed, bathed, and any other standards that fit the safety needs of the restaurant. Employees should not come to work sick or with open wounds. Personal Hygiene is essential in preventing cross-contamination.

Separate Food – Separate Equipment

People are allergic to all kinds of foods. The way employees handle food and equipment is extremely important. Each type of food should be prepared and handled with clean equipment. For example, raw meat and fresh produce should not be cut with the same knife as this leads to cross-contamination. Gloves should also be changed for every different kind of food that is being prepared. If possible, color coding stations and equipment could help keep equipment separate. There are multiple points of contact from food preparation to end customer. Every point matters just as much as the last.

Clean and Sanitize Surfaces

Wash, Clean, Sanitize. Rinsing hands, tools, surfaces, and equipment is not enough to kill germs and harmful bacteria. Before and after food is prepared on a work surface, it must be cleaned with soap and water, and then sanitized. Remember, gloves need to be changed after using cleaning solvent. Work surfaces are not the only surfaces that need to be kept clean. Counters, utensils, cutting boards and tables need to be cleaned in between uses.

Tagrisk Insurance Services’ risk appetite includes but is not limited to restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and lounges. Our hospitality insurance programs fill coverage gaps that may exist in your current policies. Do not renew your insurance without a quote from us. Contact Tagrisk Insurance Services for a quote today!